NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Friday, July 24, 2009
INCIDENT
Grand Canyon NP
Search Underway For Missing Backpacker
On the evening of Tuesday, July 21st, park dispatch received a report that at least one and possibly as many as three young men were overdue from a backpacking trip to the Deer Creek/Thunder River area of the park. On Wednesday, rangers found the car of B.G., a student at Northern Arizona University, parked at the Bill Hall trailhead, which is located about half way between Tuweep and the developed area on the North Rim of the park. Initial investigations included aerial passes over the trails and major drainages in the area, contacting members of river trips and other backpackers on the trail, and contacting B.G.'s friends and acquaintances to gather more information. Based on the information received during these investigations, concerns grew that there might be as many as four individuals in the party of missing men. However, investigators have now contacted most of the friends it was feared might be with him and have concluded that Bryce B.G. most likely came to the park alone. Bryce is 20 years old and is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He departed for his trip into the canyon on Saturday, July 18th, and left word that he would return on Monday, July 20th. Search and rescue efforts are now focused on locating a lone male backpacker in the Deer Creek/Thunder River area. One ground search team was inserted on Wednesday evening to begin a more thorough search of the area and two additional ground search teams were inserted yesterday. A helicopter search is also underway, as weather permits. Rangers from Zion and Glen Canyon are being brought in to assist with search efforts. Hikers who may have seen B.G. are encouraged to contact the National Park Service at 928-638-7805. [Shannan Marcak, Public Affairs Specialist]
Mount Rushmore NP
Greenpeace And Eleven Participants Indicted In Demonstration
A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging eleven people and Greenpeace, Inc., a California corporation, with three or more misdemeanor offenses each relating to a July 8th incident in which a protest banner was unfurled on the mountain (click on the link below for the original report). The charges against Greenpeace and the eleven include one count of conspiracy to climb Mount Rushmore as prohibited by law. The indictment contains further specific allegations concerning the conspiracy charge which include the following:
Greenpeace provided planning and training for the individual co-conspirators.
Greenpeace caused the individual co-conspirators and their climbing, video, and photographic equipment to be transported to Rapid City, South Dakota, in preparation for climbing Mount Rushmore.
Greenpeace hired a helicopter to carry its members, agents and employees in order to allow them to observe, photograph and record the actions of individuals who were climbing Mount Rushmore on July 8th
As part of the conspiracy, certain individuals attempted to impede responding law enforcement officers by placing locks on security gates as well as by chaining themselves to areas where it would be difficult or impossible for responding officers to get around the individuals without risk of personal injury.
Greenpeace, Inc., is also charged with the following offenses:
Aiding and abetting eleven individuals trespassing in a national park by entering an area not open to the public without permission.
Aiding and abetting nine individuals with climbing Mount Rushmore as prohibited by law.
Aiding and abetting six individuals with intentionally interfering with a government employee or officer engaged in an official duty.
Charges against the eleven participants included conspiracy, trespass, illegally climbing the mountain and abetting others in these offenses. The maximum penalty for each of the four counts against Greenpeace is a $10,000 fine and restitution. The maximum penalty for each count naming an individual is six months' imprisonment, a $5,000 fine and restitution. The investigation is being conducted by the Mount Rushmore rangers and by special agents of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Mark Vargo. [U.S. Attorney's Office]
Redwoods N&SP
Man Arrested For Vehicle Theft Following Pursuit
A multi-night law enforcement operation conducted over the weekend of July 17th at the Enderts Beach overlook parking area led to an arrest was for auto burglary and auto theft. The operation was undertaken due to a rash of auto burglaries and auto thefts that had occurred at the same location over the previous three weeks. A team of NPS and California Department of Parks and Recreation rangers watched as a vehicle left the area in a hurry around 1 a.m. on July 19th. After passing a marked law enforcement vehicle, the driver sped up significantly. After confirming that it was probably stolen, rangers began a pursuit. They saw the driver go through a stop sign and across Highway 101 onto a residential road, then lost sight of the vehicle on the residential streets. A methodical search of the area was begun and the stolen vehicle was found parked and still running. Rangers challenged the driver at gunpoint and ordered him to turn the engine off. Rather than do so, he attempted to flee in reverse, but flipped the vehicle on to its passenger side. The driver - who was the only occupant - was taken into custody at gun and taser point without incident. He was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and likely also under its influence. Once in custody, he complained of neck pain and was taken to Sutter Coast Hospital via Del Norte Ambulance. After being cleared at the hospital, he was taken to the Del Norte County jail. He is being investigated for auto burglary, auto theft, fleeing from law enforcement, and narcotics. CDPR will be the lead charging agency. [Lorant Veress, North District Ranger]
Buffalo NR
Taser Used During Arrest Of Combative Subject
On June 27th, ranger David Sullivan received a report of a seriously drunken camper in the Buffalo Point campground from supervisory visitor use assistant Katishia Gibbs. Gibbs advised that N.M. was intoxicated and had passed out in a tent belonging to other campers, but not before he'd urinated and vomited all over the tent floor and their sleeping bags and mattresses. Their experience with N.M. was so unpleasant that they packed up and left the park a day earlier than they'd originally planned. Sullivan attempted to arrest N.M., but he fled on foot. Sullivan pursued and attempted to use his taser on N.M. as he was running between two vehicles, but the taser's prongs missed him. Sullivan continued to chase N.M. until he tripped and fell over a four-foot embankment. Sullivan reloaded his taser and ordered N.M. to cooperate or he would be tased. After a brief struggle, Sullivan was able to get N.M. handcuffed. The three other rangers, including a field trainee, who were on duty at the time were 25 minutes away at Marion County jail processing two DUI suspects. Once in custody, N.M. berated Sullivan with a barrage of vulgar language, continued to resist, accosted nearby campers with extremely vulgar language, and attempted to escape a marked patrol vehicle. N.M. was transported to the Marion County jail and charged with interfering, disorderly conduct, being under the influence of alcohol, and underage possession of alcohol. [Kevin Moses, Lower Buffalo District Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS.
Carlsbad Caverns NP - The NPS and the National Cave and Karst Research Institute are the primary sponsors of an International Congress of Speleology conference being held this week in Texas. Before and after the conference, some participants are attending week long field camps based in and near national parks, such as Sequoia, Carlsbad Caverns, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave and Mammoth Cave.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7966" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7966
WASO Public Affairs - Secretary Salazar has announced that the Service will reopen public comment on a proposed interim rule, first proposed last November under Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, to manage snowmobile and snowcoach access at Yellowstone for the next two years.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PressReleases&id=886" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PressReleases&id=886
Training Calendar -
A listing of upcoming training courses offered by the NPS and its partners across the nation.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=1807" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=1807
Events Calendar -
A calendar of upcoming NPS-related events from around the National Park System. Added today are the events associated with the centennial of Salinas Pueblo Missions NM and the fifth annual NPS recruitment event at Acadia, which begins today.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=1808" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=1808
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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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